'Bridgerton' star Regé-Jean Page says he's happy for the Duke of Hastings to be recast with a different actor

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'Bridgerton' star Regé-Jean Page says he's happy for the Duke of Hastings to be recast with a different actor
The Duke of Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page, and Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynavor, in "Bridgerton."Liam Daniel/Netflix
  • "Bridgerton" star Regé-Jean Page said that he would be fine if the Duke of Hastings was recast.
  • Page rose to stardom after appearing as the duke in the hit Netflix series.
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"Bridgerton" star Regé-Jean Page said that he would be fine if the show's producers decided to recast his character.

Page rose to stardom after appearing in the first season of the hit Netflix series as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings. The filmmaking duo, the Russo Brothers, recently told Insider that they discovered Page through the show before casting him in their Netflix thriller "The Gray Man."

However, Page has closed the door on future returns to "Bridgerton." In a recent interview with Variety at "The Gray Man" screening, the actor was asked about the possibility of his character being recast.

"They're free to do as they like," Page told Variety reporter Marc Malkin. "Shonda [Rhimes, the executive producer] and I had a wonderful conversation at the end of season one. We were quite happy with how we stuck the landing on that one."

After Page's performance in season one, many fans were hoping for him to make an appearance in the following seasons.

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However, Netflix and Shondaland announced last year that Page was leaving the show. Page also told Variety at the time that he always saw his role in "Bridgerton" as a "one-season arc" regardless of whether it was renewed.

"[I thought] 'That's interesting,' because then it felt like a limited series," Page said. "I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit, and then the Bridgerton family rolls on."

Each season focuses on a different love story centering around the Bridgerton clan, with the first season focusing on Simon and Daphne Bridgerton. The duke's wife Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) made numerous appearances in the second season, which made Page's absence all the more noticeable.

Last year, Rhimes told Variety that she gave Page the opportunity to extend his contract but he politely declined.

Page also told GQ that he had "respectfully exited" the cast's WhatsApp group chat, which signals that his departure may be permanent.

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Page's latest role is in the Russo Brothers' spy thriller "The Gray Man," which premieres in theaters Friday and will be released on Netflix on July 22.

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